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A formula’s scope determines where it is used. Choose the broadest scope that matches the business rule.

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Default formula

A default formula is the fallback calculation for a Variable. Use it when the same business rule should apply across the model. Example: Gross Profit is Revenue minus Cost of Goods Sold everywhere. The broad default condition is:

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Formula for a Dimension

A Dimension-specific formula applies when the Variable is calculated using that Dimension. Example: calculate an allocation differently whenever Expense is broken down by Department. A rule for every Department can be represented as:
This rule matches Department as a whole. It does not pick only Sales or Engineering.

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Segment formula

A segment formula applies to a specific Dimension item or combination of items. Examples:
  • Department = Sales
  • Region = West
  • Department = Sales and Region = West
For example:
Use segment formulas for real exceptions. If every department needs the same expression, use one broader rule instead of creating a separate formula for every item.

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Formula range

A formula can also be limited to a formula range such as Actuals or Forecast. Formula ranges use Date, so a range-specific formula must include the Model’s Date grain in its scope. For a monthly Model:

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Combining scopes

Scopes can be combined. For example, a formula can apply only to Sales during Forecast. For example:
Assign that rule to Forecast when it should apply only to Sales in future periods. Broader formulas remain available everywhere the specific rule does not match.